Great work this weekend from the BYO Bag LB team with Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation, the City of Long Beach.
The volunteer team removed over 70 lbs of trash, debris and recyclables and sent them to their proper disposal.
Thanks to our partners at Surfrider Foundation Central LI for the help and the reusable collection bags that avoid further unnecessary plastic pollution.
Saturday 10/8/16 9-11am.
1 National Blvd
(Beach at National Blvd)
Long Beach, NY 11561
Join your neighbors and friends to make a difference for our beach, our residents, and our wildlife; and contribute the results to science.
The Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation will join All Our Energy, Surfrider Foundation- Central Long Island Chapter, the City of Long Beach, New York (OFFICIAL) and the BYO Bag LB team to collect and document the trash we remove, and leave nothing but footprints.
Thanks to Gentle Brew Coffee refreshments will be served for volunteers.
Thank you to Steve Abbondandolo from The Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation for braving the storm to come and give an intriguing presentation on marine debris and our undersea environment!
We learned about the biggest problems our marine life face, from pollution to entanglement to damaging human interaction.
We also learned some of the ways to help alleviate these problems and as always, if you see a stranded marine animal to stay away and call The Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation at their hotline: (631) 369-9729
Stay tuned as we partner with The Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation and others for beach clean ups and documenting what is found.
All photos by Jason Paluck
LONG BEACH, NY – July 19, 2016 – The BYO Bag LB campaign and over 125 supporters rallied at City Hall before the City Council’s meeting, requesting that the city take action on single-use plastic bag pollution.
They debuted over 2,512 signatures from residents, visitors, and business owners in support of city action. A mural of reminder easily wrapped around the plaza: 500 plastic bags tied end to end -the average person’s annual usage.
“Of the thousands of shoppers, merchants, and visitors we have talked to, the overwhelming majority support this community-building positive change,” said George Povall, Director of All Our Energy. “Pricing ‘free’ checkout bags, which become either waste or pollution after just 12 minutes of use, encourages you to bring your own bag.”
Large artful signs, many handmade by students, included a sea turtle from plastic bags and giant reusable bag. Four members of the Stewards of the Sea Youth Team jumped in it and sang “All we are saying…is bring your own bag!”
“The voices of our Long Beach children are in their artwork (calling) for a non-plastic ridden tomorrow,” Said Laura O’Shaughnessy-Swan, Coordinator for Stewards of the Sea. “This must begin at home with the support of our Long Beach City Council’s elimination of single use plastic bag pollution.”
The first speaker was Finn Ashmead, a high school senior who started a student petition and acquired hundreds of signatures, which inspired another dozen students to do the same. “This ordinance is a very simple step we can take to reduce our local pollution, and make Long Beach a much cleaner place”.
Leah Tozer of the Long Beach Chamber of Commerce introduced their letter of support for action. “Plastic pollution is a pervasive problem that hurts our city’s assets and natural resources. We want to solve that problem together, for the benefit of our city, our residents and Chamber of Commerce members.”
“I am here as a City Council Member in support of a reusable bag ordinance,” City Councilwoman Eileen Goggin said. “I am committed to making this happen”. Council Member Anissa Moore also pledged support for bringing the community together to solve this problem. City Council President Len Torres also spoke in favor and then brought the sentiment in to the city council meeting where he spoke of taking action on the issue.
Local environmentalist Scott Bochner underscored this same sentiment, saying, “This is a legacy issue for the City of Long Beach and for our children. Long Beach will lead and be the first community in Nassau County to pass legislation to eliminate single use plastic bags.”
Monday 7/25/16 @ 7pm
Long Beach Public Library
111 West Park Ave
Long Beach, NY
https://www.facebook.com/events/531800263689429/?ti=icl/
Marine debris is adversely affecting marine animals at an alarming rate. The BYO Bag LB campaign and The Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation present “Our Undersea World: An Unnatural Danger”
The effects of plastic and other pollution on marine life will be discussed, as well as stories about specific animals that stranded due to pollution. A question and answer session will follow with experts from The Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation.
Learn how to take a stand against this human-induced occurrence, and give these animals the best chance of survival. Help reduce the amount of marine debris entering the environment, before it can harm a marine animal, and create a safer environment for future generations of humans and marine animals alike.
See you at the Rally! Let the reusable bag revolution Begin!
Big art, speakers, signs and free ice cream for attendees donated thank you to Brian Braddish at Beachside Services!
6-7pm
Long Beach City Hall
1 West Chester St
Long Beach NY
All hands on deck! Rally at LB City hall- we need your support to stop plastic bag pollution NOW!
Tuesday July 19, 2016 6pm City Hall: Rally 4 Reusable Bags
https://www.facebook.com/events/893591457451017/
AFTER THE RALLY- we encourage all to attend the city council meeting and speak at the “Good and Welfare” public input session!!
Joan had the catch of the day
The BYO Bag LB team cleaned up some unbelievably trash and plastic polluted bay marsh land this past Saturday. Led by Scott Bochner, with the help of Operation Splash, Surfrider Foundation- Central Long Island Chapter, Sludge Stoppers Task Force, All Our Energy, SunPower by EmPower Solar, and thanks to City of Long Beach, New York for support, we made a big difference in the cleanliness of one section of marsh.
Some of the brave volunteers from our Marsh/Bay clean up. In a short time, we pulled about 20 full size garbage bags of mostly plastic and styrofoam debris off of about 500 feet of marsh.
In a short time, we pulled about 20 full size garbage bags of mostly plastic and styrofoam debris off of about 500 feet of marsh.
Scott Bochner, up to his hip boots in debris cleaned off the Marsh.
Hoses, foam seats, lots of #plastic and #styrofoamcup pieces, #plasticbottles, cigarette butts, and the dreaded shredded #plasticbag debris.
The dreaded, shredded, plastic bag debris. Yuck!
Good work and also sad how much it needs to be done! Thanks to all who helped.
The BYOB Bag LB team bring the Plastic Free July challenge to Long Beach, NY.
We’ve organized many events this July to raise awareness of the dangers and damage plastic pollution causes, and issue the Plastic Free July challenge to you!
find all the goings on at our Plastic Free July web page
Take the challenge:
Attempt to refuse single-use plastic for a day, week, or whole month of July. “Single-use” includes plastic shopping bags, plastic cups, straws, plastic packaging… anything that’s intended only to be used once and then discarded. click here to take the challenge and share your experience
Join our BYO Bag LB Plastic Free July Events and volunteer team:
July 2 MYOB: Make Your Own Reusable Bag
https://www.facebook.com/events/1047595791983042/
July 6 “Bag It” Free Movie At Gentle Brew
https://www.facebook.com/events/2074889072737198/
July 9 Bay And Marsh Clean Up
https://www.facebook.com/events/262879607413006/
July 19 (tentative) City Hall Show Of Support To Stop Plastic Pollution.
(Event link coming soon)
July 25 Our Undersea World: An Unnatural Danger.
Pollution hurts marine animals. Presentation and discussion With Riverhead Foundation For Marine Research And Preservation
https://www.facebook.com/events/531800263689429/
Please share all the events, info and the challenge. Come out and join us for the events, and volunteer to get involved and have some fun while protecting our environment.
Bag bill passed in NYC! Now…
Here comes the plastic bag industry with their friends in NY State government to overthrow democracy…
You read that right. On the heels of the successful NYC plastic bag fee law, legislation has been introduced in both the NY Senate and Assembly to thwart attempts to stop plastic bag pollution.
Now, State Senator Simcha Felder’s bill “establishes a prohibition on the imposition of any tax, fee or local charge on carry out merchandise bags.” If only they were prohibiting the tax on society and the environment that plastic bags cost, or the fees to deal with them that are placed on everyone, including future generations, after people discard them. They’re not against everyone paying those taxes and fees.
This attempt to overthrow the right to local control is outrageous, even for New York State politics.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t see anything in any federal or state constitution that people are entitled to a free bag, nor the consequences of such a thing. Lets help remind those that do not yet understand that it’s not ok to destroy the environment, even for 12 whole minutes convenience.
We need your help to stop this terrible legislation!
First, we need your help to raise awareness with your neighbors, friends, and everyone here, NOW, for the need for plastic bag laws. Get Involved-volunteer your time – join our volunteer team at this week’s team meeting at 6:30 pm on April 19 at Gentle Brew!
RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/
We need your help to speak to merchants, staff events, engage the public, get signatures on our petition, help people display their support with window clings and stickers, and bring everyone together to make this a success for everyone involved to push this campaign over the finish line.
Please donate to the cause here. We would love to have a reusable bag giveaway or fundraiser campaign to help get bags into the hands of all. If even a small portion of our petition signers chipped in even 5, 10, 20 dollars it would go far towards removing the barriers to legislation, number one of which is making sure no one is left out who cannot afford reusable bags.
Contact your Representative
Tell your Assembly and Senate members that stopping plastic bag ordinances is not supported. If one of your representatives is on this list, we need you especially to call and write the Senators and Assembly Members who are signed on to this legislation.
Senators in favor so far:
Sponsor-Simcha Felder (D) 17th Senate District
Andrew J Lanza (R) 24th Senate District
Martin J. Golden (R, C, IP) 22nd Senate District
Tony Avella (D, IP) 11th Senate District
Roxanne J. Persaud (D) 19th Senate District
Diane J. Savino (D, IP, WF) 23rd Senate District
James L. Seward (R, C, IP) 51st Senate District
Assembly members in favor so far
Sponsor- Michael Cusick(staten island)
Mark Gjonaj
David Weprin
Steven Cymbrowitz
Michael G. Miller
Ron Castorina
Michael Simanowitz
Victor M. Pichardo
Peter Abbate
Dov Hikind
Michael DenDekker
Nicole Malliotakis
Phillip Goldfeder
Walter T. Mosley
Erik Dilan
Andrew Hevesi
Inez Barron
Matthew Titone
Marcos Crespo
William Colton
Michael J. Fitzpatrick
Here are the links to S7336 and A9904, the companion bill in the State Assembly:
S7336: https://www.nysenate.gov/
A9904: https://www.nysenate.gov/
Please circulate information about this latest attempt by the plastic bag industry to prevent limits on the use of plastic bags and ask your representatives in the State Senate and State Assembly to oppose S7336/A9904.
For a list of NYS Assembly members, see: http://assembly.state.ny.us/
For a list of NYS Senators, see: http://www.nysenate.gov/find-
